Conway The Machine “Slant Face Killah” Album Review

What happens when great isn’t good enough anymore? That’s what every Griselda affiliate has asked themself for the past few years, as the collective’s consistent releases and knack for lyricism and gritty production resulted in lots of acclaim and some mild reception. Conway The Machine might be the most salient example of this right now, who followed up the excellent God Don’t Make Mistakes in 2022 with the expectedly solid WON’T HE DO IT in 2023. With Slant Face Killah, he continues to suffer a similar fate.

Conway The Machine is combating his own prime: even meeting half of that quality would still overshadow many pens, production aesthetics, and artistic approaches in the rap game today. On this album, the Buffalo MC retreads old territory to the point of exhaustion, and also, backtracks on the skill that we expect across the board. It puts pressure on the next move to show a bit of evolution or quality control.

Read More: Conway The Machine Recruits Dua Lipa For New Album Hype Video

Slant Face Killah‘s Production

After a dramatic, short intro (“Despertar”), “Mutty” kicks things off with a dusty Conductor Williams beat, of which there are two more on Slant Face Killah. Other production mainstays include Daringer, Camoflauge Monk, Beat Butcha, and legends like Cool & Dre and Swizz Beatz, along with more potentially surprising names like Cardo, Don Cannon, and Cubeatz. In the record’s first half, Conway The Machine showcases grimy and piano-heavy boom-bap that he murders with such conviction. “Give & Give” brings more luxury with a complex rhyme scheme and soulful vocal samples, whereas “Karimi” shifts the album’s closing moments to a woozy and chunky place with mechanical percussion and synth pads.

Still, Slant Face Killah often stays in the same place production-wise for any given track’s entire runtime. Other times, the instrumental rewinds the clock in less flattering ways, such as the trite keys, lyrics, refrains, and trap hi-hats on “Dasani” that not even a solid Conway The Machine flow could save. The very next track, “Raw!,” ironically tributes Big Daddy Kane while almost venturing into rage territory. While La Máquina flows well on it, it feels like a translation of a boom-bap beat to a trap one rather than fully embracing some of the latter style’s more distinct qualities.

Read More: Conway The Machine Refutes Claim That He “Left” Eminem’s Label

Conway The Machine’s Lyricism

Griselda Records, I should be the logo,” Conway The Machine raps on “Kin Xpress” with Larry June. On Slant Face Killah, the 42-year-old’s pen remains sharp, vivid, confident, boisterous, murderous, self-aware, and focused. “Milano Nights, Pt. 1” easily has the best quotable on the LP with “I’ll do a drive-by to André 3000’s flute album,” a distilled duality that oddly speaks to the appeal of his music. Much of the rest, such as, “You writing sixteens, I’m like JK Rowling’s four-hundred eighty-eight page novel” on “Surf & Turf,” is as hard as it is indicative of his talents.

Alas, Conway The Machine can’t escape some cringe bars here and there: Twitch and Adin Ross on “Ninja Man” and how his girl’s fancy whip makes her feel like Khloe “Car-That-She-In.” Actually, there’s a specific inflection point that makes this more obvious. By the time we hit “Ten” with Key Glock, not only does Conway’s flow get washed by Glizock on a trap instrumental, but his wordplay and topical focuses just either recycle or become less captivating on impact. It’s hard to keep up a high level across the board here, especially when featured guests break up the pattern.

Read More: Conway The Machine Net Worth 2024: Updated Wealth Of The Rapper

Where Does SFK Succeed & Fail?

Unsurprisingly great features from Method Man on “Meth Back!,” Joey Bada$$ on “Vertino,” and others like Ab-Soul, Jay Worthy, and Stove God Cooks really match him on the passion, the hunger, and the effort. Regardless, it would’ve been nice to see some more overt chemistry between them and Conway The Machine. For example, Tech N9ne underwhelms on Slant Face Killah beyond intricate rhymes, and Rya Maxwell’s bizarre cadence and boring beat selection make it feel like you put on a completely different album.

Some tracks overstay their welcome, such as the overlong intro to the “Rya Interlude” and extended outros on multiple cuts across Slant Face Killah‘s tracklist. The attempts to switch styles or stretch out some beats weren’t polished or intent-driven like previous albums in his discography. That being said, since the verses and instrumentals are mostly impressive, this is more of a retrospective issue, not something that incessantly interrupts the album experience.

Read More: Conway The Machine Gives Kudos To Drake For “8AM In Charlotte”

Where Should La Máquina Go From Here?

For the most part, Slant Face Killah is still a very worthy album in Conway’s catalog; it’s just in some small but important Griselda details that it falters. When there’s so much quality to go through, it makes these crevices look like caverns. Whereas other Griselda affiliates or “type artists” like Boldy James benefit from knowing their lane and quality standard, Conway The Machine’s capable of doing everything under the sun from lyrical onslaughts to commercial crossovers and topical depth, so why wouldn’t he want to push himself beyond this lane?

Fortunately, the closing track on here stuns. While “The Red Moon In Osaka” is not necessarily a perfect pen performance, The Alchemist’s evolutionary and layered sample flip, plus Raekwon’s monologued advice to “stay on the come-up,” provides the most emotionally distinct, compelling, and unique track on Slant Face Killah. You don’t read the bars: you feel them. That’s the secret sauce that this album didn’t spread evenly, and one that’s hard to impress fans with at this point. So shock us on the next LP, Conway: you earned our undivided attention long ago.

Read More: Busta Rhymes Labels Conway The Machine One Of His “Favorite MCs Ever”

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Conway The Machine Surprises Fast Food Workers With Cash

Conway The Machine is often giving back. Whether that’s giving back to fans with his prolific release schedule or giving back to fans through a number of the donation methods he’s deployed over the years. Now in a new video, he’s keeping it extra simple and giving out straight cash. The clip sees Conway in the drive-thru of a fast-food restaurant handing out stacks of cash to two employees from the backseat. The caption reads “Type sh*t dat happen when @whoisconway slide thru ya drivethru.”

Some commenters under the post praised Conway The Machine for his consistent generosity. “Conway always give back no matter if it’s the homeless or workers.. multiple times,” one comment reads. “MY GUY the MACHINE. That’s LUV Bro,” says another. In the video Conway hands a stack of cash to one woman, telling her to split it. In the comments, fans made their guesses at whether or not she would actually do it. “She not splitting that,” reads the top comments on the post. “Ole girl was not splitting nothing,” says another.

Conway The Machine Handing Out Cash

Conway The Machine has stayed busy in 2023 releasing 3 entire albums. The first was a collaborative effort with labelmate and frequent collaborator Jae Skeese called Pain Provided Profit which dropped back in March. He followed that up with WON’T HE DO IT a new feature-packed studio album. Westside Gunn, Benny The Butcher, Ransom, Juicy J, and many more contribute to the tracklist of the project.

The third album Conway has under his sleeve was Drumwork: The Album. The project sought to showcase all of the artists signed to Conway’s label Drumwork. It sports 13 tracks almost all of which feature numerous Drumwork artists flexing their lyrical abilities and performance intensity. That prolific streak also dates back to 2022 when he dropped yet another studio album God Don’t Make Mistakes. He followed that up with a collaborative release alongside Big Ghost Ltd. called What Has Been Blessed Cannot Be Cursed. What do you think of Conway The Machine’s generosity? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: Kanye West’s Odd But Meaningful Gift To Conway The Machine Explained

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Conway The Machine & Drumwork Join Forces On “Drumwork The Album”

Conway The Machine’s prolific run hasn’t ended. This year, he already blessed fans with Pain Provided Profit with Jae Skeese before delivering his latest body of work, Won’t He Do It. The next item on the docket was a compilation project with the rest of the Drumwork team.

This morning, the La Maquina rapper came through with Conway The Machine Presents: Drumwork The Album. The 12-song effort highlights the incredible team of artists Conway’s signed to his label, including Jae Skeese, 7xvethegenius, Goosebytheway, SK Da King, and Shots Almigh. Drumwork The Album also includes contributions from Benny The Butcher, Rome Streetz, 38 Spesh, Heem, ELcamino, D.Smoke, & Bangladesh.

Read More: Conway The Machine Songs: Rapper’s Best Collabs

Conway Returns With Drumwork Compilation

The MC has been teasing his latest effort since the top of the year. In early February, he confirmed that a Drumwork project was on the way, along with a docu-series. “We here!!! They doubted us, now we gon make them respect this Drumwork shit! Time to etch this shit stone! DW the album & docu-series on the way,” he wrote on Instagram. Hopefully, we’ll be hearing more from the Drumwork label throughout the year.

Later this year, Conway will be hitting the road for the Won’t He Do It tour with support from Sauce Walka and Jae Skeese. Although initially planned for May, Conway was forced to postpone the dates after sustaining an injury to his right tibia and knee. The tour kicks off in Detroit on September 5th before concluding in Toronto, Canada on October 7th. He’ll also be hitting up major cities such as Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York City on his fall run. Check out Conway The Machine Presents: Drumwork The Album above and check out the tracklist below.

Read More: Conway The Machine & 38 Spesh Have A Joint Album Dropping This Summer

Tracklist

  1. Hov Numbers – Conway The Machine, 7xvethegenius, Goosebytheway, KNDRX, Lucky Seven & SK Da King
  2. Lonely – Jae Skeese, 7xvethegenius, Lucky Seven & SK Da King
  3. LALO – Conway The Machine Ft. Benny The Butcher & 38 Spesh
  4. City Grill – Jae Skeese, 7xvethegenius & Goosebytheway
  5. Rory Joint – Jae Skeese & 7xvethegenius 
  6. Blue Grass – Jae Skeese, Goosebytheway & Shots Almigh
  7. Take It Back – 7xvethegenius, Goosebytheway, SK Da King & Lucky Seven
  8. Elephant Man – Conway The Machine, Goosebytheway & SK Da King Ft. Rome Streetz & Heem
  9. This Is War  – Jae Skeese, Goosebytheway, Lucky Seven, SK Da King & Kota Savia 
  10. Crown For Queens – 7xvethegenius & Kota Savia
  11. Andre 3000 – Conway The Machine & 7xvethegenius Ft. D Smoke & Bangladesh
  12. Sudan – Conway The Machine, Goosebytheway & Shots Almigh – Ft. Lo Profile
  13. Far Away – Conway The Machine & Shaun 2X Ft. ELcamino

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Conway The Machine Confirms Drumwork Album Release Date

Conway The Machine is one of the most prolific artists in rap music right now. After already being involved in numerous musical projects so far this year he just announced the release date for another. His label, Drumwork, is about to release a new compilation album showcasing their various talents. The album is a similar premise to those from numerous other artist-led labels. Dreamville, YSL, G.O.O.D. Music and many others have made similar compilations in the past. Drumwork’s project is officially scheduled for release on July 7th.

Conway The Machine’s Instagram post served as both an announcement and a preview. The new project includes a documentary series on the label, which fans got a taste of. In the video he posted various artists explain how the label initially came to be and how they all turned hard times into great music. The first single from the forthcoming project dropped earlier this month. “Elephant Man” saw Conway teaming up with Goosebytheway, SK Da King, Heem B$F, and Rome Streetz for a banger posse cut.

Conway The Machine Stays Busy

Conway The Machine has already release two full albums in just the first half of 2023 alone. Back in March he dropped the album Pain Provided Profit. The project was a short outing that saw Conway teaming up with frequent-collaborator Jae Skeese. He followed it up with a more fleshed out new solo album in May. WON’T HE DO IT featured Benny The Butcher, Westside Gunn, Juicy J, and many of the Drumwork artists expected to appear on the upcoming album.

Conway The Machine recently amazed both his fans and his fellow rappers. A video posted to Instagram saw the rapper heading to the studio directly after being released from the hospital. Fans couldn’t believe that Conway could have leg surgery and then turn around and get back to work so quickly. It’s not surprising he’s been releasing a lot of music given his dedication to keeping busy and recording. What do you think of the forthcoming Drumwork label album? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: Westside Gunn Links Up With Conway The Machine

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Conway The Machine Gets Gritty On New Posse Cut “Elephant Man”

In an already extremely prolific year, Conway The Machine and his Drumwork label have more on the way. The Griselda rapper dropped a new single called “Elephant Man” which features himself and numerous members of the label. Goosebytheway, SK Da King, Heem B$F, and Rome Streetz round out the artists lending their voices to the track. Despite the crowded room of collaborators, the track wraps up in a tight 4 minutes that gives everyone a chance to show off what they’ve got.

Alongside the release of the song was an announcement that there’s a full Drumwork album coming later this summer. Labels like YSL and Dreamville have made similar moves in the past. The resulting albums served as a display of the variety of talent a particular label has on its roster. Though many of the Drumwork members have similar styles, they collaborate frequently and fit together well. Label members like Jae Skeese, 7xvethegenius, and Goosebytheway have appeared often on recent Conway The Machine albums.

Conway The Machine And Drumwork Present…

Drumwork as a whole has had an extremely busy 2023 already. Last month Conway The Machine himself dropped a whole new album WON’T HE DO IT which had collabs from Drumwork and Griselda members. He also dropped a collaborative tape with Jae Skeese called Pain Provided Profit back in March. And as if that wasn’t already enough, Skeese followed it up with a full album of his own later that month. The album, Abolished Uncertainties was his and the label’s most substantial undertaking yet.

Conway The Machine shared in an interview recently that he has become increasingly reclusive. He says he dealt with “severe anxiety” during a party celebrating the release of his last album. Tell us what you think about Conway and Drumwork’s new song in the comments below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news and updates from around the music world.

Quotable Lyrics:

The Prezi on the left hand, the boy set precedents, damn
The bezel and band dance like Elephant Man
They still tryna further their careers, but don’t ever advance
Every time Machine drop a record, it mess with they plans

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Conway The Machine Net Worth 2023: What Is The Rapper Worth?

From the gritty streets of Buffalo, New York, to the glittering stages of the hip-hop world, Conway The Machine’s rise to fame is a story of resilience and grit. His talent and dedication have culminated in an impressive net worth, but what is it in 2023?

Conway The Machine Net Worth

The rapper has an estimated net worth of around $5 million in 2023, according to NetWorthInside.

Conway The Machine Net Worth: A Testament to His Talent

Conway at Diplomats premiere
NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 20: Conway The Machine attends “The Diplomats” New York premiere at iPic Theater on February 20, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

Conway’s wealth primarily stems from his successful career as a rapper. His lyricism and distinctive style have resonated with fans worldwide, establishing him as a formidable figure in the hip-hop scene. His net worth reflects his successful journey in the music industry.

Building His Empire

Conway performs in Paris
PARIS, FRANCE – MARCH 27: Conway the Machine performs at Le Trabendo on March 27, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by David Wolff-Patrick/Redferns)

In addition to his music, Conway has diversified his income sources. This includes merchandise sales and touring, adding significantly to his net worth. A shrewd business mindset complements his rap skills, ensuring his financial success and stability.

Griselda Records

griselda members from right to left: Conway The Machine, <a href=Benny The Butcher, Westside Gunn” class=”wp-image-678642″ srcset=”https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/GettyImages-1338416486-1.jpg 1024w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/GettyImages-1338416486-1.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/GettyImages-1338416486-1.jpg?resize=768,512 768w” sizes=”(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px” />
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – SEPTEMBER 04: Conway the Machine, Benny the Butcher and Westside Gunn attend the Made In America Festival on September 04, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/WireImage)

Conway, along with his brother Westside Gunn, is a co-founder of Griselda Records. The label has been instrumental in shaping the modern hip-hop scene, giving a platform to raw and unique talents. Additionally, he launched his own imprint, Drumwork. The success of Griselda Records and Drumwork is a significant contributor to Conway’s net worth.

The Impact of Conway The Machine’s Net Worth On His Career

conway on stage with benny the butcher
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 17: Conway the Machine (L) and Benny The Butcher perform at Sony Hall on November 17, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

While money isn’t the sole indicator of success, it does provide Conway with the freedom to express his artistry without financial constraints. His net worth enables him to continue making the music he loves and to support upcoming artists in the industry.

Conway The Machine Net Worth: More Than A Number

conway album release party
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 04: Conway The Machine attends “Won’t He Do It” Album Release on May 04, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

However, Conway The Machine’s net worth represents more than just monetary value. It’s a symbol of his journey from the streets of Buffalo to the top of the rap game. It’s the tangible outcome of his relentless drive, unyielding dedication, and undeniable talent.

The Future

conway and armani caesar concert
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 21: Conway The Machine attends Armani Caesar In Concert at S.O.B.’s on December 21, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

Looking ahead, Conway The Machine’s net worth is expected to grow as he continues to make waves in the hip-hop industry. With every album release, tour, and business venture, he solidifies his place in the rap world and continues to build his wealth.

Conclusion/TLDR

In conclusion, Conway The Machine’s net worth of around $5 million in 2023 reflects his remarkable journey in the music industry. His talent, entrepreneurial spirit, and indomitable will have propelled him to financial success. Despite his success, Conway remains true to his art, a testament to his passion for hip-hop.

Conway the Machine on Benny the Butcher/Freddie Gibbs Beef: ‘I Wish That Never Happened’

Conway The Machine on Freddie Gibbs vs Benny The Butcher Beef I Love Benny and I Fw Freddie Gibbs 1 49 screenshot

The Freddie Gibbs and Benny the Butcher beef has reached no resolution. And that isn’t particularly enjoyed by Conway The Machine.

Conway pulled up on DJ Akademiks and his Off the Record podcast and revealed why he thinks the situation is bad for him personally.

“That nigga Gibbs, my nigga, man. I wish that shit never happened,” Conway explained. “I would love to squash that. I wish I could have. If I was there, I don’t know if that would’ve happened. I’m talking about none of it, not just the shit that they talking about.”

The Machine added, “And Benny, my cousin, I’m riding with Benny regardless of whatever happens. But if it was up to me, none of that shit would’ve never happened.”

On the music end, Conway The Machine’s Drumwork Records Spring takeover continues with Pain Provided Profit, his collaborative project with Jae Skeese, which is now available. This comes after the conclusion of his most recent sold-out Reject Mania European tour and the announcement of his own upcoming solo album, Won’t He Do It.

Jae Skeese, the first artist to sign with Conway The Machine’s Drumwork Music Group brand, contributed vocals to the first single from La Maquina, “Blood Roses,” and two tracks on the deluxe edition of From King To A GOD by Conway The Machine. In addition to performing on God Don’t Make Mistakes, Conway’s debut album on Shady Records, Skeese continued to rise by helping the album’s release by collaborating with Conway on two separate freestyles that were featured on Bootleg Kev and LA Leakers.

You can hear the new release below and let us know if you feeling Jae Skeese.

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